Student Support Intervention Team Specialist Practitioner

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Specialist Practitioner within the Student Support Intervention Team

Cardiff University is pleased to offer an exciting opportunity for a qualified and experienced Practitioner to join our Student Support Intervention Team. This key role focuses on delivering timely, tailored support and practical interventions to help students manage challenges that may impact their wellbeing, safety, or academic success.

The successful candidate will work with autonomy and professional judgment to identify risk, provide early intervention, and implement effective support strategies. This includes responding to concerns related to student mental health, emotional distress, experiences of violence or abuse, and other complex personal difficulties.

Specialist Practitioners offer confidential, non-judgmental, and needs-led support, working collaboratively with students and liaising with colleagues and external services to ensure appropriate responses are in place. The role is grounded in proactive risk assessment, safeguarding, and helping students navigate barriers to their personal and academic development.

This is not a therapeutic role, but applicants should bring experience of working in high-pressure environments where risk management, decision-making, and supporting vulnerable individuals are key.

We welcome applications from those seeking full-time or part-time work. This is an open-ended position.

Salary: £40,497 – £45,413 per annum (Grade 6), pro rata if worked part-time.

Date advert posted: Thursday, 26 June 2025

Closing date: Sunday, 13 July 2025

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

The Specialist Practitioner will lead for own caseload on: the identification, assessment, and management of incidents involving vulnerable students, focusing on violence, abuse, and mental health crisis. This role is essential in promoting a safe and supportive university environment through proactive intervention and collaboration with various stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Risk Assessment and Management: Lead on own caseload on the identification, investigation, and risk assessment of student incidents using recognised assessment tools. Respond appropriately to incidents falling within the Student Support Intervention Team remit.
• Student Engagement: Offer initial appointments for students affected by violence and abuse and/or mental health; including those referred as significant concerns or self-referred. Provide high-quality, trauma-informed support that includes mental health assessments and risk mitigation strategies to safeguard all parties.
• Case Management: Lead on own caseload: student case management and coordination efforts, ensuring responses are appropriate and consistent with university policies, particularly the Student Support Intervention Policy and Sexual Misconduct Policy.
• Referral and Escalation: Independently manage complex and sensitive enquiries, ensuring timely escalation of concerns and appropriate information sharing regarding risks. Additionally, make safeguarding referrals and participate in multi-agency and multidisciplinary meetings as necessary.
• Disclosure Response and Documentation: Respond to disclosures by accurately collating and documenting information on individual students\’ accounts of events or incidents, whether past or emerging. Consider the potential implications for police reporting, investigations, and internal complaints to ensure thorough and effective handling of the information.
• Professional Guidance: Provide professional direction and advice on managing vulnerable students in crisis to staff across academic schools, professional services, and community agencies, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students and the wider university community.
• Documentation and Investigation: Investigate, collate, and document relevant information on individual students’ circumstances regarding incidents, whether past or emerging, to inform appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• Culture of Risk Management: Promote a culture of risk management within the university by encouraging the identification and reporting of concerns related to changes in student behaviour.
• Early Intervention: Enable early prevention of mental health incidents through the coordination of a professional multi-disciplinary response for students presenting risks to themselves or others.
• Partnership Building: Establish and maintain productive partnerships with key contacts within the university and external agencies, fostering collaborative approaches to support and intervention.
• Training Development: Collaborate with colleagues to design and develop training materials on topics including mental health, violence and abuse, and professional boundaries, ensuring alignment with existing frameworks.

Continued in \’Additional information\’

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education

• Relevant degree/NVQ 4 or equivalent professional membership in mental health or related fields.
• Substantial professional experience in mental health or related fields (e.g., social work, mental health nursing, occupational therapy, psychotherapy)
• Professional experience in working directly with victims of all forms of violence and abuse (e.g. IDVA, ISVA)

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Demonstrated professional knowledge in risk management and assessment, including familiarity with safeguarding practices.
• Significant experience in safeguarding, managing high-risk cases, and advocating in multi-disciplinary meetings, including appropriate documentation of client statements.
• Proven ability to design and deliver effective training on topics such as professional boundaries, suicide awareness, violence, and abuse prevention.
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively and professionally with a wide range of people while upholding professional boundaries.
• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively as part of a team to support vulnerable individuals in crisis.

Planning, Analysis, and Problem-Solving

• Evidence of initiative and creativity in solving complex problems, identifying and proposing practical solutions with various potential outcomes.
• Ability to work independently to deadlines, effectively prioritising tasks and monitoring progress.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working within statutory healthcare or social services.
• Experience in a Higher Education environment.
• Fluency in Welsh, both written and oral.

Additional Information

• Service Evaluation: Plan and implement ongoing service evaluation activities to support continuous improvement of intervention services.
• Reporting Mechanisms: Review, audit, and develop reporting mechanisms and referral pathways, ensuring policies and procedures are integrated within Student Life processes and fit for purpose.
• Multi-Disciplinary Meetings: Lead frequent multi-disciplinary intervention case meetings, providing direction, recommendations, and case updates while coordinating next steps or actions based on expertise.

General Duties:

• Case Management: Maintain accurate records of case management, including disclosures, risk and needs assessments and support plans, ensuring all documentation is thorough and up to date.
• Confidentiality and Data Protection: Uphold appropriate levels of confidentiality in accordance with the University’s data protection policy and the Student Life confidentiality statement.
• Policy Compliance: Abide by mandatory University policies on Information Security, Health, Safety & Environment, and Equality and Diversity, considering the impact of the work environment on dignity, productivity, and morale.
• Additional Responsibilities: Perform other relevant duties as required, consistent with the role and organisational needs.
• Professional Development: Commit to continuous professional development (CPD) by staying informed of key research and concepts related to the role.

Salary Range Min.

40,497

Salary Range Max.

45,413

Job Category

Management & Executive

Grade

Grade 6 #J-18808-Ljbffr